The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a major initiative to bridge the gap between skills training and employment. In a significant move, the government is developing a national job-market portal specifically designed to link graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes directly with employers across the country.
A Dedicated Marketplace for Skilled Talent
Minister of Education, Morufu Olatunji Alausa, announced the plan during an interview on Channels Television. He revealed that the platform is being created with support from the World Bank and will function as a dedicated marketplace, not a general job board. This strategic focus aims to ensure that the skills acquired by Nigerians translate into tangible job opportunities.
Alausa explained that the government learned from past programmes where skills training resulted in certificates without clear employment pathways. Consequently, the new portal will have employment pathways embedded directly into the ongoing TVET reforms. As trainees complete their programmes, their profiles will be uploaded to the platform, allowing manufacturers, recruiters, and service providers to directly identify and hire locally trained technicians and artisans.
Reducing Reliance on Foreign Labour
A key objective of this initiative is to reduce Nigeria's dependence on foreign technical labour. By making it easier for industries to source skilled workers domestically, the government hopes to retain economic value within the country and boost overall productivity. The minister linked the portal to broader industrial challenges, noting that many sectors struggle to fill technical roles locally despite high national unemployment rates.
The development of the portal is being carried out with World Bank involvement to ensure credibility, sustainability, and strong governance. Minister Alausa stated that procurement processes are being finalised and that a cautious approach is being taken. The platform will undergo thorough pilot and beta testing phases before its public launch to avoid the pitfalls that undermined earlier similar initiatives.
Part of a Broader One Million Training Target
This job-market platform is a core component of the government's wider TVET strategy, which has an ambitious goal: to train one million Nigerians in priority skill areas identified through detailed labour-market analysis. Preparations are already underway to populate the portal at launch. Existing data on TVET trainees is being integrated, and a database of manufacturers and employers is being compiled to ensure active participation from both supply and demand sides of the labour market.
The minister emphasised that the focus is on building a functional and durable system rather than rushing it to market. This portal represents a concrete step by the Federal Government to tackle unemployment by creating a direct pipeline from vocational training centres to the heart of Nigeria's industrial and manufacturing sectors.
